Ralph Lawler

Ralph Lawler hadn't missed a Clippers broadcast in 25 years. Not for a cold or flu or even a kidney stone attack. He's been at the microphone for every dreary Clippers loss and the occasional uplifting victory. Until Friday night. Fox yanked Lawler and analyst Michael Smith from Friday's Prime Ticket broadcast of the game against the Denver Nuggets after Clippers season-ticket holder Arya Towfighi objected to an on-air exchange between the announcers toward the end of Wednesday's 106-91 Clippers loss at Memphis.

A tweet Thursday morning from Clippers voice Ralph Lawler - also known as @ohmeohmy - packed a wallop into 140 characters. In what read as a casual comment, the 75-year-old broadcaster said the plan was for this season to be his last. Lawler, who has called Clippers games since 1978 and slides over to radio when the team's games are televised nationally, said he hadn't made a final decision but is contemplating retirement. Fans' reaction was instantaneous: OMG. "I was just planning to text-message a friend in Sacramento," Lawler said, "and it wound up all over the darned Twitterverse.

I go away for a week, and you people just lose it! I'll get to the Fox TV executives, and their inappropriate and idiotic comments regarding Ralph Lawler , as well as the guy who won't let his 8-year-old son hear Mike Smith's lame attempt at humor but has no problem sending the kid to school now that everyone knows his father is a Clippers season-ticket holder. But first of all I have to know this: Are there that many people who have fallen off the perspective cliff, or just the 20 or so who chose to send a Saturday letter to The Times' sports section grousing about the job Pete Carroll is doing?

Tuesday night it seemed to be Christmas in April for Fox Sports West. First the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings and then the suddenly struggling Los Angeles Clippers were involved in key playoff games shown on the channel. Except then the Kings went into overtime, jamming themselves right against the Clippers-Memphis game. The channel dealt with the conflict by showing the games simultaneously on a split screen. On Wednesday, FS West explained the decision in a statement: "We attempt to work with the leagues to avoid playoff scheduling conflicts in advance.

"Blake gets his first field goal in the second half. Don't go away, 89-77, it's down to 12. Don't go away!" It's Ralph Lawler's 2,513th Clippers game here and in San Diego, of which 1,613 have been losses, not that you can tell by his excitement level. Blake Griffin has just scored as they try to rally from a 16-point deficit in a game against the San Antonio Spurs, as Richard Jefferson fires off a three-pointer. . . . "Jefferson!" says Lawler as the ball arcs toward the basket, and goes in. "Go ahead and go away.

MEMPHIS, Tenn -- Imagine waking up here Monday morning and realizing you really are a loser. And now everyone in the country who watches TNT or ESPN knows you're a loser, your team built on grit, grind and "Believe Memphis," but rolling over like a submissive dog when pressured. I was a Memphian. I worked in this Mid-South sweatbox 32 years ago, never returning until forced to do so now. But I can tell you after all these years the place still smells like no one showers. Elvis is buried here forever and I cannot imagine how upset he must be. The city's highlight is Beale Street, a rundown slab of bars with police running a wand over anyone wanting to enter the area Saturday night.

Ralph Lawler has every reason to complain about his job. As the radio and television announcer for the Clippers for 11 of the past 12 seasons, he has worked for a team that not only has had merely one winning season during that stretch but also has endured an almost unfathomable series of injuries to its top players. But the Clippers' futility has not taken its toll on Lawler. "This is the best job in the world," Lawler said.

Ralph Lawler would have every reason to complain about his job. As the radio and television announcer for the Clippers for 11 of the past 12 seasons, not only has he worked for a team that has failed to make the playoffs and had only one winning season during that stretch, he has witnessed an almost unfathomable series of injuries to the team's top players. But the Clippers futility has not taken its toll on Lawler. "This is the best job in the world," Lawler said.

To read that Clippers announcer Michael Smith babbled out some on-air, racist-sounding inanities, apparently intended to be humorous, is one thing. To find out that Ralph Lawler, a Hall of Fame-quality broadcaster, went along for the ride is, however, surprising. They both ended up sounding like a couple of dumb yokels just off the bus in the big city. But from Lawler we expect more. He should have had the presence of mind to stop the chatter as soon as he sensed its offensive nature. After all, Los Angeles is a cosmopolitan city, not some backwoods burg where ignorance passes for comedy.

A tweet Thursday morning from Clippers voice Ralph Lawler - also known as @ohmeohmy - packed a wallop into 140 characters. In what read as a casual comment, the 75-year-old broadcaster said the plan was for this season to be his last. Lawler, who has called Clippers games since 1978 and slides over to radio when the team's games are televised nationally, said he hadn't made a final decision but is contemplating retirement. Fans' reaction was instantaneous: OMG. "I was just planning to text-message a friend in Sacramento," Lawler said, "and it wound up all over the darned Twitterverse.

I worry Charles Barkley might have the Clippers pegged correctly as "fool's gold. " Good to know, though, Barkley has already pronounced the Lakers goners, and here they were Wednesday night pulling a Lazarus while Utah was digging a hole for itself. Hello, playoffs? But what about it - goodbye, Clippers, sooner than later? Barkley told a TNT audience Tuesday night the West has only three NBA championship-quality teams in Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Memphis, while going on to call the Clippers "softer than tissue paper.

Wednesday was just another night to come out and write about greatness and the Clippers. Write that a few years ago and the men in white coats would come and get you. Right now, in the entertainment capital of the world, they are the best sports entertainment. For the moment, Lakers Showtime gathers cobwebs. The once great and celebrated lost their fifth straight in San Antonio and the separation the two teams are achieving in public perception is becoming startling. That loss, combined with a Clippers' victory, had the Clippers leading the Lakers in the Pacific Division by 12 1/2 games.

The Clippers' streak ends this week. Look at the schedule. It begins with a trap game against Utah on Sunday night, a game in Denver on Tuesday where the Nuggets are 9-1, a trap game the next night at Golden State and then a colossal collision with the Lakers on Friday night. The Clippers survive all that, and fat chance, then they have to pick themselves up after an emotional game with the Lakers to take on Golden State the next night. So it was fun while it lasted. In fact, I'm thinking maybe it ends Sunday night.

Obviously, Vinny Del Negro had to be asked whether the Clippers were holding something back on their recent trip while losing three in a row. That will probably sail right over the heads of UCLA fans who still seem preoccupied watching replays of Jim Mora's news conference from Saturday after getting blown out by Stanford. I understand. It beats watching replays of UCLA and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo playing basketball. But enough about losers, what about the Clippers? They were the NBA darlings just last week, better than the Lakers and a great feel-good story.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Nick Young is expected to start in place of injured small forward Caron Butler when the Clippers play Game 2 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. The Clippers lead the series, 1-0. Young has been effective off the bench. He was especially good in that role Sunday, when he scored a team-high 19 points and hit three consecutive three-point shots late in the fourth quarter to help his team complete an improbable 99-98 comeback win after trailing by as many as 27 points.

MEMPHIS, Tenn -- Imagine waking up here Monday morning and realizing you really are a loser. And now everyone in the country who watches TNT or ESPN knows you're a loser, your team built on grit, grind and "Believe Memphis," but rolling over like a submissive dog when pressured. I was a Memphian. I worked in this Mid-South sweatbox 32 years ago, never returning until forced to do so now. But I can tell you after all these years the place still smells like no one showers. Elvis is buried here forever and I cannot imagine how upset he must be. The city's highlight is Beale Street, a rundown slab of bars with police running a wand over anyone wanting to enter the area Saturday night.

The NBA season hasn't started but the Los Angeles Clippers are already big winners. The club confirmed today that it is not renewing its arrangement with over-the-air KTLA and has signed an exclusive long-term television deal with Fox Prime Ticket, the cable network that already carries a majority of the Dodgers' games. While there was no official word on the details, three sources said the Clippers' new deal runs through the 2015-16 season. The sources, none of whom were authorized to speak publicly, also said the agreement was worth almost double the $12.5 million a year in revenue the Clippers had been receiving from its contracts with KTLA and Fox. "It's a very good deal for us," Clippers President Andy Roeser said today.

'Novak for the win," Ralph Lawler says, his deep voice climbing up the sound ladder with each syllable, in perfect rhythm with Steve Novak's three-point shot as it arcs and settles into the net. As time runs out, there is Lawler's voice, sweet sounding as any symphony, musical and exuberant and just so heartfelt. BIIIIINNNGOOO.

Someone had to tell Hamed Haddadi that he had been likened to Borat's older brother. The Memphis Grizzlies center had been lampooned by Clippers broadcasters Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith during a November 2009 game, with Smith asking his colleague if he wasn't sure Haddadi was related to the fictional character created by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Some listeners didn't consider the comparison a compliment given that Borat was a crude chauvinist. Haddadi didn't know the difference.

From Dallas -- I'm going to tell you a few things about Clippers honk Ralph Lawler you probably don't know. In quick order with details to follow, they involve Marge Hearn, Coldwell Banker, and as crazy as it sounds; a willingness to take his wife with him wherever he goes. When I'm done here, I suspect you will be a little upset and probably think less of the Basketball Hall of Fame for not honoring the old coot by now. Now as good people go, if you have ever spent time with Vin Scully, you've met Lawler.